GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF WATER ASSOCIATED WITH RUM PRODUCTION IN BARBADOS AND JAMAICA

Barbados and Jamaica are among the world’s oldest rum producing regions dating to the 1600’s and 1700’s. Both islands have carbonate bedrock and are located in the Caribbean. Water chemistry is important to fermentation and post-distillation, rectification. Fermentation waters are typically hard and are beneficial for microbial health while ideal rectification water is soft. Modern-day rum production occurs in carbonate terrains, but historically has also included production in non-carbonate terrains. Water samples were collected across both islands from sources associated with carbonate and non-carbonate bedrock. Samples were analyzed for dissolved calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, and zinc using ICP-OES and ICP-OES. Water samples from Barbados had dissolved Ca from 222 to 16.9 ppm, Mg from 49.6 to 1.88 ppm, Na from 214 to 28.6 ppm, K from 13.3 to 1.87 ppm, Fe from 1710 to 0.05 ppm, Mn from 919 to 0.39 ppm, and Zn from 5.5 ppm to less than 0.02 ppm. Water samples from Jamaica had dissolved Ca from 137 to 23.1 ppm, Mg 209 to 0.836 ppm, Na from 1680 to 1.23 ppm, K from 63.4 to 0.250 ppm, Fe from 4810 to 0.88 ppm, Mn from 1740 to 0.10 ppm, and Zn from 8.3 to 1.1 ppmThese values suggest that natural waters in Barbados and Jamaica are suitable for microbial health during fermentation. But these waters are more challenging regarding rectification without modern ion-exchange processes.